PoT For Any Time of the Year
by ChibiKagura
Summary: This would be where I stash my seasonal PoT fics for viewing at any time of the year. XD Pairings and ratings vary. Individual summaries inside. This post includes Golden Pair, Ryoma x Taichi, and Silver Pair.
1. Chill

Here's where I dump all of my seasonal PoT one-shots for ya'll to read at any time of the year. Yay! Pairings will be all over the place. Expect lots of fluffy shounen-ai here, although I can throw a curveball and write het (KamioxAn, anyone?) Ratings will never get above a PG-15. Each story has its own summary, notes, etc. And I think that's enough babbling up here, so let's get on with the show!

Dedicated to Ari-sama 3

**Title**: Chill  
**Pairing**: Oishi x Eiji + mentions of Fuji throughout  
**Rating**: G until the very end.  
**Words:** 872  
**Warnings**: Those red thingies are killer...  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own the pretty tennis boys. If I did, poor Eiji (and consequently Oishi) would be tortured mercilessly. Sorry, ya'all! Eh heh... 3  
**Summary**: To Fuji, "good" and "toxic" were synonymous.

Oishi bought the majority of his Christmas gifts in November. The mother of Seigaku not only hated the holiday rush, but also doubled as the team's official Santa, delivering beautiful presents to everyone. It was his nature to put thought into every one of his gifts, so he had to start early. However, he always had difficulty finding the perfect present for certain people, so he entrusted Eiji to help with last-minute shopping.

"Nya, Oishi! What did you buy me?" the acrobat asked, turning on the cuteness. He was practically hanging from his partner's arm.

"Eiji, quiet. You'll find out soon and you'll love it, I promise. Now help me find a present for Fuji," the vice captain replied coolly. He furrowed his brow slightly as he examined the department store's picked-over shelves. "You think he would like a Christmas cactus?"

"Nah, that's what I got him," Eiji answered cheerily, although he was quickly growing bored. He released Oishi's arm and bounced to the sale table, where he found a pair of black square reading glasses. Putting them to his eyes, he returned to his partner and said in a mockingly deep voice, "Chance of finding a present here, 0."

In spite of his frustration, Oishi smiled. "Eiji, put those back. We're leaving."

The redhead complied with a "Hyoi!" and threw his arms around the exasperated boy's neck. "Why don't we look at the candy store?" he asked innocently as the pair stepped onto the crowded street.

The taller boy sighed, his breath condensing in little puffs around his face. He eyed his partner suspiciously. "And what would we find at the candy store that would interest Fuji?"

Eiji reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small candy in a brilliantly red wrapper. "It's Fuji's favorite! Try it!" he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. He shoved the harmless-looking sweet into his partner's gloved hand.

"Eh…I don't think I will, thanks," Oishi replied, breaking out in a cold sweat despite the icy winter weather. With Fuji, "good" and "toxic" were synonymous. Shuddering, he gave the candy back to the shorter boy.

"Awww, you're no fun!" the redhead giggled. "Fuji gave me a couple yesterday. Sometimes he eats them three or four at a time!" Ignoring the look of abject terror on his partner's face, he unwrapped the harmless-looking candy and gave it a few experimental licks before popping the whole thing into his mouth. Eiji was calm for a few seconds, although his cheeks colored, then he exploded. He yowled like a wounded cat as the sweet erupted from his mouth. The sticky projectile landed in the snow a few feet away, where it sizzled slightly.

"EIJI!!" Oishi yelled, maternal instincts kicking in as he rushed to his partner's side. "Eiji, are you okay? ARE YOU OKAY?"

"Y-yeah," the acrobat coughed. He wiped a red trail of saliva off his cheek with his coat sleeve. "Hot…tongue…hurts…"

Grabbing his partner's hand, the vice captain glared at the growing cluster of curious passers-by. "There's nothing to see here," he snapped. He turned back to the redhead. "Do you need anything?"

Eiji thought for a second then looked up at the taller boy, the glint returning to his eye as he recovered. "I want ice cream!"

By the time the pair reached the candy store fifteen minutes later, it was already approaching twilight and the street was aglow with Christmas lights. The temperature was dropping and a light snow had started to fall. However, sitting at a small window table inside the shop, Eiji happily licked his ice cream cone.

"I can't believe you're eating ice cream. It's too cold!" Oishi said incredulously as he watched his partner devour his treat.

"Nya, it's not bad as long as you eat it inside!" the redhead giggled. He winked and stuck out his tongue.

"You're tongue's still red," the taller boy chuckled affectionately. "Does it still hurt?"

"Nah, the ice cream helped a lot," Eiji replied, licking a stray drip off the side of the cone. "The cinnamon things aren't that bad, y'know. You should try one!"

Seigaku's mother hen stiffened and twisted the bag of candies in his hand. "Maybe…I really don't think Fuji should be eat-"

Eiji cut him off. "You worry too much, nya! Fuji's just a freak with a steel stomach. You should be glad I had you buy the candies for him instead of condoms. He asked for those too, Santa!"

A faint blush appearing on his cheeks, Oishi replied matter-of-factly, "Santa's done shopping. Now be a good elf and tell Fuji that if he wants those, he'll have to buy them himself."

Eiji doubled over with laughter at the responsible vice captain's reaction. The remaining ice cream, momentarily forgotten, threatened to slide off the cone. Noticing this, Oishi grabbed the cone from the acrobat's hand before disaster struck. Absentmindedly, he slurped the ice cream that had dripped onto his hand.

"Hey, you were right! This is pretty good!" he said pointedly, taking another bite and jerking Eiji out of his giggle fit.

"Nyaah! OISHI!"

Oishi licked the ice cream one last time and returned it to the pouting redhead. Ruffling his hair, he had to laugh. "Merry Christmas, Eiji."


	2. Headgear

This is dedicated to the awesome Riya-chan. .

**Title:** Headgear  
**Pairing**: Ryoma x Taichi + Momo, Eiji, Oishi, and Fuji  
**Rating:** PG overall  
**Words:** 1673  
**Warnings**: Fuji is evil, but that's a given. .  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own the pretty tennis boys. If I did, they would all smell like fresh flowers after grueling practices.  
**Summary**: Ryoma, wrapped up in tennis, forgot about Christmas. It takes a clumsy midget to jog his memory. What will the socially challenged prodigy do in return and _why_ does he smell like flowers?

"Echizen-kun!"

Figuring the distant, high-pitched voice calling to him belonged to one of his fangirls, Ryoma slowed his pace. He quickly scanned the bustling sidewalk for the pigtailed loudmouth and her friend, but, thankfully, he saw neither. The slightly puzzled prodigy removed his cap, scratched his head, and continued to walking. Again, he heard the voice, much louder this time.

_"Echizen-kun!"_

The Seigaku player glanced over his left shoulder, surprised to see Yamabuki's pint-sized manager worming his way through the crowd. Ryoma was only a few centimeters taller than the other freshman, but he had an aura about him that made strangers stay out of his way. He smirked; the tiny boy was getting trampled.

Dan, realizing that he had captured his target's attention, stumbled between two rather obese men in heavy coats before halting next to the prodigy. He bent and placed his hands on his knees, panting heavily. His treasured sweatband drooped lazily over his left eye. Giving the other freshman time to catch his breath, Ryoma paused. "What?" he asked nonchalantly.

Abruptly reviving, the shorter boy replied cheerily, "I have your Christmas present!"

Ryoma blinked. "Christmas?"

Dan gasped as if the prodigy's words had been a personal insult. "It's almost Christmas! You don't mean you forgot!"

Actually, Ryoma had forgotten completely. When he ran around on the courts, he got so hot and sweaty that he did not even notice the drop in temperatures. He did notice the crestfallen expression on the other's face, however, and added hastily, "I'm not really a Christmas person."

Dan gasped. "But Christmas is the best time of the year, with all the lights and snow and hot chocolate and fireplaces! And it's when Santa brings all the presents!"

Ryoma coughed, cleverly disguising a snigger. Despite Momo's and his dad's insistences, he had never believed in the Santa Claus stuff. When he was a kid, mastering the twist serve was more important than worrying about whether he had been good or bad during the year. He twirled his hat on his finger and replied casually, "Y'know he doesn't exist, right?"

Bristling, the Yamabuki player stammered, "Y-yeah! Of course I knew that! Akutsu-sempai already told me so!" Glowing cheeks notwithstanding, he nodded vigorously, pulled his shoulders back, and stretched to his full height in an attempt to appear impressive.

The prodigy stifled another laugh and examined the shorter boy. If anything, he looked downright ridiculous with his headband dangling askew and his bottom lip jutting defiantly; passers-by were starting to stare. Feeling self-conscious, he decided to try a tactic that sometimes worked with Karupin. He looked the other boy pointedly in the eye and said firmly, "Calm. Down."

With a squeak, Dan recoiled. Turning on his heel, the prodigy smirked over his shoulder. "Mada mada dane," he scoffed, unceremoniously throwing his hat back on his head.

"Wait! Echizen-kun! Your present!"

"Oh. Right."

The Seigaku player paused again and faced the smaller boy, who was pawing frantically through his school bag like a squirrel looking for a lost acorn. After several moments of searching, Dan finally unearthed a small box of pink bath salts. "Da-da-da-dan!!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, shoving the container into Ryoma's hand. "I heard you liked bath stuff, so I bought these for you! Merry Christmas!"

"Um," the prodigy said, slightly taken aback. He held the box to his nose and sniffed. Honeysuckle. Opening his mouth to point out that he last thing he needed was to smell like a girl, Ryoma froze when saw the earnest look of adoration on the smaller boy's face.

"Do you like them?" Dan asked imploringly. "If you don't, then I can take them back! Or I could use them myself!"

"No, they're fine," Ryoma replied, stuffing the crystals into his jacket pocket. Closing his eyes, he could not shake Dan's hopeful face from his mind. Maybe the kid had a point; it _was_ getting cold out. He shivered and pulled his regulars' jacket closer.

"I'm so glad, desu! I was afraid you would hate them or think they were too girly or something…but I had to get you a present because you're so amazing, Echizen-kun!" Dan gushed, bouncing on the balls of his feet from excitement.

Peering at the smaller boy from under the brim of his cap, Ryoma wondered why he put up with his annoying little fanboy. "Shouldn't you be going home?"

Dan nodded. "I'm going to the train station up ahead! Let's walk there together!" he exclaimed, pointing energetically.

"Whatever," Ryoma muttered. Dan, aside from his constant babbling, was better company than most. _As long as the kid doesn't try to hold my hand or anything,_ the prodigy pondered.

While the pair strolled down the street, Ryoma found himself staring at the other boy, who was struggling to keep up with him. The rebellious headband had slipped again, but Dan was apparently too ecstatic to notice. Worried that he might trip, the regular reached over and pushed the green cloth out of the oblivious midget's eyes.

"T-thank you!" Dan stammered.

"Why the heck do you wear that stupid thing anyway?" Ryoma asked. "The thing's way too big for you, baka."

"I know! But it belonged to Akutsu-sempai, so I always wear it!" the Yamabuki player replied, misty eyed.

Sorry that he had asked, Ryoma stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I bet it smells terrible," he said snidely.

"It did, but I washed it!" the shorter boy chirped.

"Humph. Mada mada dane. Akutsu's weak," the Seigaku regular scorned, avoiding the other's eyes. He began to walk faster.

Jogging to catch up, Dan replied indignantly, "I know he's scary, but he's not as mean as you th-"

"Mada mada dane," Ryoma repeated, cutting the other off. However, Dan persisted.

"And I really like _you_ a lot too, Echizen-kun! You beat Akutsu-sempai even though you're only a little bit taller than me. You're _really_ amazing!"

As the pair arrived at the station, Ryoma snorted, although he secretly appreciated the praise. "Well, don't miss your train," he said offhandedly.

"I won't! Bye-bye Echizen-kun!" the Yamabuki player said cheerily, tripping over his own feet as he turned to wave.

Laughing internally at the clumsy boy, Ryoma removed his hat and ran his fingers through his messy green hair. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Wait, Dan!"

"Echizen-kun?"

"Merry Christmas, I guess. I want it back after vacation, though."

"Hn?"

Without another word, Ryoma tossed his hat to his confused fanboy. Dan squealed in delight and jammed the hat on his head over the headband. "Thank you so much, Echizen-kun!" he squeaked, but the Seigaku regular had already disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

"I can't believe Tezuka-buchou scheduled practice during Christmas vacation!"

Clustering in the locker room, the Golden Pair nodded in agreement. Tezuka made the team run laps for nearly three hours and almost everyone in the room was near death.

"Mada mada dane, Momo-sempai. You need to get in shape anyway," the freshman sneered, stepping out of the showers. He was already dressed.

"Shut up, Ochibi. I bet you're tired too," Eiji snapped. With a yawn, he sprawled lethargically across the bench, placing his head in his partner's lap.

"Eiji!" Oishi warned as Ryoma approached. Addressing the younger boy, he added "Practice tomorrow at seven-thirty. Don't be late."

"Mmm," Ryoma said, stuffing his racket into his bag. He gathered his equipment and proceeded to the doorway. However, Eiji made an observation that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Why does our locker room smell good?"

"Hey, I smell it too! It smells like girl in here! Fuji, are you wearing perfume?" Momo joked, making a face.

"Not today, Momo-chan," the tensai replied with a smile. Floating over to the doorway, he added, "Echizen, is something bothering you? You're acting strange… and you...smell like flowers."

"Fuji-sempai, will you please stop sniffing me? I'm fine!"

"Okay, sorry," the tensai said, his diabolic perma-smile in place. Suddenly, his eyes flashed and narrowed dangerously at the freshman. "Is she a good girl?"

"Huh?"

"Echizen! You never told me you had a girlfriend! Who? WHO?"

"WHAT? Shut up, Momo-sempai!" Ryoma flared, his cheeks coloring. He reached for the doorknob, but Eiji stopped him.

"Yeah, who's the chick, Ochibi?" the acrobat teased.

"Eiji, give him his space!" Oishi scolded, trying to spare the freshman any further embarrassment. "Echizen, you may go."

Ignoring his teammates' badgering, Ryoma turned and left. Eiji and Momo immediately followed, each determined to find out the mystery girl's identity. Oishi sighed and tailed after the two troublemakers, muttering something to Fuji about "damage control."

Alone, Fuji returned to his locker to collect his belongings. His fellow teammates, intent on torturing their junior, had failed to notice the petite regular's jacket draped over the bench. Smirking, the tensai picked up the abandoned article of clothing, which he would dutifully return to the freshman later. As he slung it over his shoulder, a soft rattling noise caught his attention. His smile widened; having fun trumped being a Good Samaritan any day. He opened the jacket's pockets and, to his delight, found a small, fragrant box. Curiosity getting the better of him, his sharp eyes scanned the label. "'Victoria's Secret Beauty.' Interesting," he smirked. He continued silently, eyes widening as certain words jumped at him.

When he read the last line out loud, he chuckled to himself. "'Merry Christmas! Love your biggest fan, Dan Taichi.' My, that is precious. I wonder if he knows where our Ryoma's cap is. He forgot that too, the poor boy. He's probably freezing without his hat and coat," he mused.

Replacing the box, Fuji set off to find the freshman. He found his target easily, but he figured it would be better to wait a little while before returning the jacket. Certainly, Fuji was reading the danger signs better than Momoshiro. The clueless boy was still poking his harassed and volatile-looking junior about his "girlfriend."

_His present will stay our little secret for now,_ the sadistic tensai decided, happily preparing himself for a good show.


	3. Bells and Chocolate

Dedicated to mystikphantom 3

**Title**: Bells and Chocolate  
**Pairing:** Ohtori x Shishido  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Words**: approx. 1820  
**Warnings:** Semi-AU (future fic), language, boys kissing  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own the pretty tennis boys. I just bathe them in coffee and pretend it's an accident. .  
**Summary**: Really, it was a miracle he had managed to keep his job for six months. He couldn't complain, though. He needed the money, even if it meant working long hours for Satan's bastard offspring.

The tinkling of the bell in the heart-adorned doorway ruined the teenager's hopes for an inconspicuous arrival. With an exasperated sigh, he quickly stuffed the plastic grocery bag he was carrying into his pocket and waited for the explosion.

"Shishido, you're later than usual," the weasel-like middle-aged man behind the counter said curtly, not looking up from the mocha he was stirring.

Shishido swallowed his tongue and darted behind the counter, avoiding eye contact. He hung his blue baseball cap on the coat rack, pulled his shoulder-length brown hair into a ponytail and grabbed a damp, soapy rag from the sink. Making sure his boss was preoccupied with more customers, the teen made a rude gesture and angrily began to scrub tables. Come closing time, he knew he would receive one hell of a lecture, as was the case every other time he ran into work late. If a place nearer to home had been hiring, he would have applied there in a heartbeat. In the meantime, he was stuck working the night shift at a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop on the other end of town. Really, it was a miracle he had managed to keep his job for six months.

He couldn't complain, though. He needed the money, even if it meant working long hours for Satan's bastard offspring. After graduating from high school, the rest of the former Hyotei regulars had gone off to college together, but the lone "poor kid" chose to stay behind. He could have taken (and passed) the college entrance exams, but there was no way his family could afford to send both him and his older to brother to college at the same time. Therefore, Shishido was determined to spend the year working his ass off cleaning tables until he earned enough to join his friends.

Of course, the naturally stubborn teenager had other, simpler motives for staying as well. His doubles partner of four years (and boyfriend of three and a half) was a year behind him in school. He had hoped to continue their relationship until they both went to college together, but it was a farsighted dream. Work quickly took over Shishido's life and school Ohtori's. The two made the most out of every sporadic late-night IM conversation, since seeing eachother face to face was completely out of the question. Shishido was never one to give up, however; he still bought Choutarou his annual box of birthday chocolates, even though he knew it was a waste of time and money.

Breathing a sigh of relief as he scrubbed the same coffee stain for the fifth time, the teen was glad his boss had been busy with customers when he arrived. He did not want to explain that he was late because he had been battling crowds of tittering schoolgirls at a convenience store. He winced, recalling the embarrassment.

"Waitress! Excuse me, waitress!" Shishido jumped and glared, realizing that someone was speaking to him. Tact and dignity aside, the longhaired teen threw the soapy rag down onto the table.

"What's your problem?" he snarled in a very un-feminine voice, forgetting all traces of tact and dignity. "Not what you were expecting, huh?"

"Shishi- I mean, Ryou-san?"

Now it was Shishido's turn to be completely taken aback. Sitting in a small corner booth and blinking bemusedly as if he had just seen a ghost, was Choutarou. The younger boy smiled and waved nervously, his chocolate eyes sparkling despite the dim light.

"What the hell are you doing in this dump?" Shishido exploded, forgetting that there were other people in the restaurant. He pulled up a chair and sat quickly, his elbow barely missing his boyfriend's mocha latte.

Choutarou chuckled and patted the instrument case occupying the seat next to him. "I'm playing tonight, since it's a holiday."

"But why here of all places? You're good enough to get hired somewhere better…Mind if I have some of this, Choutarou?" Shishido asked, taking a sip from the steaming beverage.

The younger boy nodded and pointed at the man behind the counter. "He's my uncle. I thought I told you that, Ryou-san."

Shishido spewed, drenching his boyfriend in lukewarm coffee. In the back of his mind, the information sounded vaguely familiar, but he could _not_ see any resemblance between his demonic boss and his blushing (and dripping) boyfriend. Handing Ohtori a napkin, Shishido exclaimed, "That _bastard's_ your _uncle_?"

Ohtori nodded, wiping the coffee off his face. "Hard to believe, I know. He's not the most agreeable person."

"Damn right he isn't." Shishido snorted.

"But he is a really nice man underneath it all," Ohtori added.

Somehow, Shishido found this hard to believe. Uncomfortable, he shifted his weight in his chair. He jumped to his feet, the large bulge in his back pocket reminding him of his earlier purchase. The chair clattered to the floor.

"Ryou-san?"

Shishido pulled the rather squished heart-shaped box of chocolates out of his pocket and tossed it to the younger boy. "Happy birthday," he said tersely.

Ohtori gasped, surprised. "You didn't have to!"

The older boy rolled his eyes. "It's your birthday. I can do whatever the hell I want for it. Besides, I've done this for the past four years now, so why should I stop?"

"But you're so busy and we never see eachother…"

"Shut up, Choutarou. Just take them. I hate having to go into that store every year. The cashier gives me weird looks."

"Thank you, Ryou-san," Ohtori said with a smile, that soon changed into a mischievous smirk. "Although, you look enough like a girl now that she probably wouldn't be able to tell. You even had _me_ fooled."

Shishido grumbled. "C'mon, let's finish this outside. The boss'll be over here in a minute wondering why the tables aren't clean." He grabbed Ohtori's arm and proceeded to drag him out the door. The little bell chimed as the pair exited, but neither boy noticed. Ohtori's uncle's gaze momentarily flickered towards the retreating teens. Coughing, the older man shook his head and resumed polishing a coffee mug with a ratty dishtowel.

"Ryou-san, why back here?" Ohtori asked as he was pulled behind the shop, away from the crowded street.

"Privacy," Shishido replied simply.

"But we're standing in front of a dumpster."

"And your point is?"

"It's not exactly romantic."

"Since when have I been 'romantic,' Choutarou? This is our first time alone together in months and I don't want someone interrupting us."

"If someone did interrupt us, though, they probably wouldn't see two guys together," Ohtori said with a wink.

"Oh well, that spares YOU the embarrassment, then," Shishido muttered angrily.

The glint back in his chocolate eyes, Ohtori reached forward and untied Shishido's ponytail. Smiling, the taller boy ran his fingers through the sweaty brown strands in an attempt to comb out the crease. "I like your hair long, Ryou-san."

Shishido withdrew, struck by a sudden thought. "Wait a minute. If you knew I was working here, then why haven't you stopped by before?"

Ohtori smiled and resumed playing with the shorter boy's hair. "I've been busy, but…I also wanted to wait until Valentine's Day…so I could surprise you with a present too. I could have waited until White Day."

The older teen scowled. "From now on, you're coming here every time you can, got it? No more waiting. I mean it. The last six months _killed_ me."

"Yes, Shishido-san," Ohtori whispered cutely, reverting to his junior high nickname for his boyfriend. He leaned in and captured the shorter boy's lips with his.

"I missed this," Shishido whispered breathily into the kiss as he felt one of Ohtori's arms snake around him. Making up for lost time, Shishido eagerly deepened the kiss. While their tongues tangled feverishly, he chuckled to himself; Ohtori still smelled like coffee. The spicy-sweet smell attacked the older teen's nose as his boyfriend's hand clutched the back of head, desperately pulling him even closer. With six months of pent up frustration threatening to overflow, Shishido quickly found himself beyond the limits of self-control. One hand trailed up Ohtori's sculpted chest, brushing briefly against the cross necklace that he still wore dutifully. The other fumbled clumsily with his belt buckle.

"Ryou-" Ohtori panted, abruptly pulling back, his glazed brown eyes opened wide in shock.

"Hn?" Shishido mumbled, his lust-fogged brain trying to comprehend the situation.

"T-turn around."

Behind him, he heard the reedy sound of someone clearing his throat. "Oh. Shit."

"Hello, Uncle!" Ohtori said, feigning cheerfulness.

The older man cleared his throat again. "Shishido. You were supposed to take out the trash. First you're late, and now this. Don't expect me to keep paying you if you keep slacking off. Now get to work," he said gruffly, then turned his body towards his nephew. "You too, Choutarou. You're supposed to play tonight, remember? Honestly." Without another word, the manager threw the trash bags into the dumpster and walked inside. The little bell told the pair that the coast was clear.

Turning to his boyfriend, Shishido flared. "The bastard always ruins everything. I don't care if he's your uncle. I hate him."

Ohtori stroked the shorter boy's head. "If you were anyone else, you would have been fired on the spot."

"Tch. I'm amazed I haven't been- Wait. What do you mean by 'anyone else?'"

Pulling Shishido into a tight hug, Ohtori replied, "Believe it or not, he and I are family. If someone I care about is in trouble, it's only right for us to help, right? You're part of the family too, in a way."

"But I don't even know the guy! Ugh, God…Choutarou-" Shishido's voice broke. "You know I could have asked Atobe for help, right?"

"Atobe-san would have helped you, but you would've had to get on your knees and beg for it. This is a bit less humiliating, don't you think?"

Shishido shuddered, knowing his boyfriend spoke the truth. He had been in that demeaning position before and was _not _willing to go there again if he could help it. His breath caught in his chest as he fought the urge to start weeping like a girl. Shishido balled his boyfriend's shirt in his fists. "Thanks, Choutarou. Really. You gotta come here more often."

"I promise I will. Happy Valentine's day," the younger boy said soothingly. He kissed Shishido's lips gently.

"And you better not tease me next time."

"Hai, hai. Now let's go inside before we get in trouble." Clutching Shishido's hand, the taller boy steered them through the doorway. The little bell chimed as they entered, the thin sound echoing in the nearly vacant shop. The scrawny man at the counter glanced up, as if expecting customers. However, he only saw the two teenagers, holding hands and smiling as they returned to work. The man simply shook his head and ducked behind a rusty espresso machine, the dim light reflecting in his deep chocolate eyes.


End file.
